The T1E1.4 standard for xDSL communication systems, hereby incorporated by reference, currently standardizes IMA+ (“inverse multiplexer for ATM”). IMA+ describes a method to bond various xDSL links having different data rates to only one logical link. This logical link is also called “group”. The draft of the aforementioned standard already contains regulations with respect to the startup of the several links. However, the draft of this standard does presently not define the possibility as to how to configure the several xDSL links forming a group as one logical instance and how to control the behavior of the group (including configuration, startup, maintenance, management, etc.).